How Hobbies, Like Money, Affect Life Satisfaction (In the Long Run)

It has been three and a half years since I quit my job in my mid-50s. Before I quit, I was bored with the idea of a life of freedom and thought I might end up re-entering the workforce. However, to my own surprise, I have been spending my time just as I please.

But, judging from what my friends say, even if one has sufficient assets after retirement, some people seem to have too much time on their hands and feel uncomfortable not working.

What humble people they are!To think that free time could be a poison. I wonder if it depends on one's personality.

On the other hand, I also feel that what determines the fulfillment of one's second life after retirement is whether one has a "life work hobby" that they can be passionate about.

Specifically, whether there is a purpose in life that you want to fulfill using the rest of your time.

For example, golf. There is a former salesman who has been obsessed with golf since quitting his job. If he can coordinate schedules with friends who share the same hobby, he heads to the course. Also, since they often travel to the suburbs, many of them are car enthusiasts. Both golf and cars seem to have no end to the level of detail one can pursue, making them worth diving into.

What about in my case? I have about three.

First is stock investment.
I have already finished building the assets needed to live out the rest of my life. But I just love stock investing.

More precisely, I find it exhilarating and get a rush of dopamine when I follow the global economy that influences stock prices every day, or when I perform financial analysis on potential investment candidates and have new insights or discoveries. This is the same economic and financial analysis I used to do in my work when I was employed.

In my 30s and 40s, I was obsessed with doing it until late at night for the sake of management, my bosses, and shareholders, as well as for my own self-satisfaction, such as skill improvement, promotions, and a sense of accomplishment. It was a happy time when my hobby and my work aligned.

But when I reached my 50s and started to see a decline in my physical strength and cognitive ability, these analyses suddenly felt like an "obligation." Even though it was for the sake of stakeholders, I was too tired to do it anymore.

So, once I quit my job, I started doing it again, but this time only for myself. And what do you know? Just like in my 30s and 40s, I was able to enjoy it purely out of curiosity again.

On top of that, I am lucky that AI has appeared in the world, so even on my own, I can perform analysis at the level that used to be done by an entire organization at my company, and in a short amount of time, too. I am not being instructed by management; I am doing it solely to satisfy my own curiosity. When I discover a new investment target, buy the stock, and it blossoms after leaving it alone for a while, I feel like dancing with joy.

In this way, I spend two or three hours every day analyzing to find potential investment candidates. It has become a so-called "job" that leads to dividends and future capital gains.

Next is language learning.
Having spent my university days in London, I have always been interested in European languages. During my summer vacations while at university, I reached a decent level in French (B2) and a beginner level in Italian through homestays and language schools.

And finally, by quitting my job, I am now able to spend as much time as I want on this endless hobby.

Usually, I use the voice function of ChatGPT to practice conversation and have it point out my grammatical mistakes. Also, I compensate for the brain deterioration that comes with age by having AI create personalized texts and apps for me. This helps me maintain my motivation. I am currently attending an Italian language school once a week, and I also enjoy the insights and discoveries I get from discussing learning methods with other students who share the same goals.

Also, starting last year, I began attending local language schools or doing homestays for a month or two each year. Last year, I stayed in Paris for a month. This year, I plan to study abroad in Italy for a month, followed by another two-week short-term study program in Paris, just like last year.

Meeting and engaging with people of all generations and nationalities that I encounter locally is just as stimulating to the brain as learning the language itself.

Continuous daily practice is important for language improvement. Thanks to that, language learning has become a daily routine after quitting my job. In addition to the two hours of stock investing, I spend about two hours on this as well. Sometimes I get immersed for three or four hours.

Furthermore, language learning and stock investing are well-suited for AI, and a benefit is that your AI literacy naturally improves as well.

Now, finally, the most fundamental and important element: activities related to health.
It is exercise.
I have loved swimming since I was in elementary school, and even after becoming a working adult, I have swum in the gym pool every day as much as possible. It is not just for my health, but also as a way to relieve stress. When I was pushed with unreasonable demands by management or had conflicts with colleagues and felt frustrated, I would sneak out of the office during overtime hours and swim to my heart's content—and lo and behold, it was like magic. I would feel refreshed with a pleasant sense of fatigue. My mood would be reset.

And now, I make it a point to swim after doing the financial analysis for the aforementioned investments or language learning, just to change my mood. I go during the empty daytime hours for about an hour, covering a distance of 2–3 km. The idle chatter with my gym buddies at the pool is also a source of refreshment.

Also, exercising seems to have a positive effect on the brain, and sometimes problems I was struggling with regarding investments or language learning suddenly become clear, as if the fog has lifted and the solutions appear.

So, my day is almost entirely filled with stock investing, language learning, and swimming. I optimize my time allocation based on my mood that day.

Do you all have any hobbies you have been immersed in for many years?

That is all. Thank you for staying with me until the end today.